Carry case

ABSTRACT

A completely bleach-cleanable, clamshell bag composed of molded emulsified EVA. A base and lid form a generally rectangular compartment that removably holds a variety of caddies via PALS strips. A lid lip engages with a base lip to form a liquid-resistant seal. The hinges are flexible, coated webbing straps for durability and to facilitate cleaning. The latch includes side release buckles on flexible, coated webbing straps. Handles are composed of flexible, coated webbing straps. A recess in the base floor holds an oxygen cylinder with an attached regulator, retained by an elastic cylinder harness designed for cylinders of different lengths. The bag includes a waist belt, a pair of shoulder straps, and a carry strap, all of which are removable to facilitate cleaning. An optional flashlight arm can rotate and pivot removably attaches a flashlight.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGCOMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to bags for emergency medical supplies.

2. Description of the Related Art

Emergency medical bags are currently made from large denier (500-1500)woven fabrics, mostly nylons and polyesters. They are often treated withdurable water repellant chemicals (DWR) to resist water uptake. Some usepolyurethane (PU) or acrylic coatings on the inside of the materials forwater resistance and durability, and some may use limited outercoatings, for example on the bottom of the bag, which might come incontact with surface water. Trims used on the bags such as straps,zippers and hook and loop closures are ordinary commercial grade trimsas might be used on luggage. Threads used to sew the seams of the bagstogether are polyester or nylon core polyester or nylon wrapped.

While the materials work well to hold the contents in the bags, aredurable, and affordable, the fabrics, trims, and thread/seams also tendto absorb blood, other body fluids, and microbiology in the vicinity ofthe patients being treated. EMTs then carry these bags to the next calland bring potential pathogens with them. Even fabrics treated with DWRlose their ability to repel fluids and water as soon as surface dirtpenetrates their fibers. Some bags can potentially be washed but washingthem with bleach or other chemicals, which might kill microbiology, canalso ruin the bags.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a totally bleach-cleanable bag. The clamshelldesign forms a liquid-resistant seal. The bag is composed of moldedemulsified (foam) ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA). All surfacesare cleanable with bleach or hospital-grade wipes.

Another feature is the oxygen cylinder recess with an elasticizedharness so that a cylinder can be added and removed without adjustment.

The bag has a shell with a base and a lid that form a generallyrectangular compartment within. They are composed of an impermeablematerial that is somewhat flexible. A preferred material is anemulsified (foam) ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA). Optionally,the outer surfaces are covered with a skin or laminate to provide colorand texture, abrasion resistance, cleaning facilitation, and a bit oftear strength. In one configuration, the skin is a polyurethane (PU),thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) laminate.

The entire circumferential edges of the base and lid are formed intolips. When the bag is closed, the lid lip engages with the base lip toform a seal that is resistant to liquid passing through.

Mounting brackets are permanently attached to various locations on thebase and lid, and are designed for several uses. Each mounting bracketis a flat, metallic piece, preferably stamped aluminum that ispowder-coated or anodized. The mounting bracket is generally triangular.Strap slots extend along a short side and a long side. Each mountingbracket is permanently attached by brass or stainless-steel rivets.Preferably, the manner of mounting makes the attachment resistant toliquid passing through.

The base and lid are attached together by two or more hinges that areeach a flexible strap composed of a polyester or nylon webbing that iscoated with PU, TPU, or PVC for durability and to facilitate cleaning.One strap end is permanently attached to the base at a hinge basemounting bracket and the other end is permanently attached to the lid ata hinge lid mounting bracket.

A latching mechanism preferably employs two or more side-releasebuckles. The female components are permanently attached to the lid byrivets. The male components are attached to the free end of straps. Theother end of each strap is permanently attached to the base at latchbase mounting brackets. Optionally, the length of each strap isadjustable by looping the strap through a square ring on the malecomponent, as is well-known in the art. The straps are composed of apolyester or nylon webbing that is coated with a PU, TPU, or PVC fordurability and to facilitate cleaning.

The bag has a hinge side handle and a latch side handle. Each iscomposed of a base strap and loop strap, each of which is composed of apolyester or nylon webbing coated with a PU, TPU, or PVC for durabilityand to facilitate cleaning. The loop strap is laterally stitched to thebase strap to form an elongated, longitudinal handle loop and lateralcarabiner loops straddling the handle loop. The ends of the handles arepermanently attached mounting brackets.

The base floor optionally has a recess for holding an oxygen cylinderwith an attached regulator. The cylinder is retained in the recess by anelastic cylinder harness that is designed for cylinders of differentlengths. An optional foam pad protects the wearer's back from thecylinder.

The bag includes a waist belt, a pair of shoulder straps, and a carrystrap. All of these components are detachably attached to the base sothat they can be removed to facilitate cleaning. Optionally, the bagcomes with multiple sets of these components so they can be swapped outafter each job to await cleaning. Optionally, these components aredisposable.

Optionally, the bag includes a flashlight arm to which a flashlight canbe removably attached via a cylindrical bracket at the end of the arm.The arm attaches inside the base so it can rotate and pivot.

The lid optionally includes a removable divider that separates the lidinto two compartments. The lid and base optionally include compressionstraps.

Strips of Pouch Attachment Ladder System (PALS) webbing are attached tothe inside surface of the base and lid and on both sides of the divider.The present invention includes caddies of various sizes that areremovably affixed to the inside of the bag via the PALS strips.

Objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of thefollowing drawings and detailed description of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and object of the presentinvention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bag of the present invention in theclosed position;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the hinge side of the bag in the workorientation;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the latch side of the bag in the workorientation;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the foot end of the bag in the workorientation;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the handle end of the bag in the workorientation;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the top of the bag in the upright-carryorientation;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the bottom of the bag in theupright-carry orientation;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the top of the bag in the side-carryorientation;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the bag in the opened position;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional, detailed view of the seal between the baseand the lid;

FIG. 11 is a detail view of a mounting bracket;

FIG. 12 is a detail view of the hinge side handle;

FIG. 13 is a detail view of the end handle;

FIG. 14 is a bottom, perspective view of the closed bag with a cylinderrecess;

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the bag with a cylinder in the cylinderrecess;

FIG. 16 is a detail view of the cylinder harness;

FIG. 17 is a side view of the cylinder harness with an M9 cylinder;

FIG. 18 is a side view of the cylinder harness with an M15 cylinder;

FIG. 19 is a detail view of the cylinder harness with a foam pad;

FIG. 20 is a view of the bottom of the bag in the upright-carryorientation with a cylinder recess, shoulder straps, waist straps, andcarry strap;

FIG. 21 is a detail view of the waist belt;

FIG. 22 is a detail view of the carry strap;

FIG. 23 is a detail view of the shoulder straps;

FIG. 24 is a detail view of the flashlight arm;

FIG. 25 is a detail view of the flashlight arm bracket;

FIG. 26 is a detail view of the flashlight arm mount;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the bag in the opened position withoptional compression straps;

FIG. 28 is a front view of a PALS strip;

FIG. 29 is a top view of a PALS strip;

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of a closed caddy;

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of an open caddy;

FIG. 32 is a side view of a closed caddy;

FIG. 33 is a detailed perspective view of an open caddy latch;

FIG. 34 is a detailed perspective view of a closed caddy latch; and

FIG. 35 is a perspective view of the bag with caddies.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/511,435, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/698,444, all of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entireties.

The bag of the present invention is a totally bleach-cleanable bag forEMTs and paramedics so that biological pathogens can be removed from thebag on a regular basis. The bag is unique in that all of the materialsused are 100% cleanable, either coated (with the exception of theremovable shoulder straps and the interior caddies) or laminated, ormade from a waterproof and cleanable materials. The bag has a clamshelldesign wherein the lid closes over the base to form a liquid-resistantseal. The outer material is molded EVA with a patterned skin. Allsurfaces are cleanable with bleach or hospital-grade wipes.

Another unique feature is the oxygen cylinder recess and harness. Theharness is elasticized so that a cylinder can be added and removedwithout adjustment.

As shown in FIGS. 1-8, the bag 10 of the present invention has a shell20 with a base 22 and a lid 24 that form a compartment 26 within. Thebase 22 has a generally rectangular floor 30 with a long hinge side 32,a latch side 34 opposite the hinge side 32, a short foot end 36 betweenthe hinge side 32 and the latch side 34, and a short handle end 38between the hinge side 32 and the latch side 34 and opposite the footend 36. All of the sides 32, 34 and ends 36, 38 extend upwardly from thefloor 30 at approximately 90° to form a base compartment 46. Optionally,the junctions 40 where the sides 32, 34 and ends 36, 38 extend from thefloor 30 are rounded, as in FIG. 4. Optionally, the junctions 42, 44where the sides 32, 34 and ends 36, 38 attach together are rounded, asin FIG. 7. Optionally, the rounded junctions 44 at the handle end 38 arelarger than the rounded junctions 42 at the foot end 36, resulting inthe handle end 38 being shorter than the foot end 36, as in FIG. 7.

The lid 24 has a generally flat, rectangular roof 64 with a long hingeside 66, a latch side 68 opposed to the hinge side 66, a short foot end70 between the hinge side 66 and the latch side 68, and a short handleend 72 between the hinge side 66 and the latch side 68 and opposed tothe foot end 70. All of the sides 66, 68 and ends 70, 72 extenddownwardly from the roof 64 at approximately 90° to form a lidcompartment 80. Optionally, the junctions 74 where the sides 66, 68 andends 70, 72 extend from the roof 64 are rounded or beveled, as in FIG.4. Optionally, the junctions 76, 78 where the sides 66, 68 and ends 70,72 attach together are beveled or rounded, as in FIG. 6. Optionally, therounded junctions 78 at the handle end 72 are larger than the roundedjunctions 76 at the foot end 70, resulting in the handle end 72 beingshorter than the foot end 70, as in FIG. 6.

The present specification describes the bag 10 in three differentorientations. The work orientation is when the floor 30 is horizontalsuch as when the bag 10 is laying on the ground or a table, as in FIGS.2-5. The upright-carry orientation is when the foot end 36 and handleend 38 are horizontal, as in FIGS. 6 and 7. The side-carry orientationis when the hinge side 32 and latch side 34 are horizontal, as in FIG.8.

The base 22 and lid 24 are composed of an impermeable material that issomewhat flexible. A preferred material is an emulsified (foam)ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA). The advantage to using aflexible material, rather than a rigid material, is that the bag 10rests against a wearer's back and is more comfortable when it can flex.

Optionally, the outer surface of the base 22 and lid 24 are covered witha skin or laminate to provide color and texture, abrasion resistance,cleaning facilitation, and a bit of tear strength. In one configuration,the skin is a polyurethane (PU), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), orpolyvinyl chloride (PVC) laminate.

The dimensions of the bag 10 can be designed for each particularapplication, such as Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support, tocarry medicines exclusively, or other medical equipment used on thescene. As currently designed, the bag 10 is 60 cm from the lid foot end70 to the lid handle end 72, 38 cm from the lid hinge side 66 to the lidlatch side 68, and 26 cm from the base floor 30 to the lid roof 64.

As shown in FIG. 9, the entire circumferential edge of the base 22 isformed into a lip 52 and the entire circumferential edge of the lid 24is formed into a lip 86. When the bag 10 is closed, the lid lip 88engages with the base lip 52 to form a seal 96 that is resistant toliquid passing through. As shown in FIG. 10, the base lip 52 isdelimited by a shoulder 54 that offsets the lip 52 outwardly and the lidlip 86 is delimited by a shoulder 88 that offsets the lid lip 86outwardly farther than that of the base lip 52. The base lip 52 flaresslightly outwardly from the shoulder 54 to the lip edge 58, as at 56 andthe lid lip 86 flares outwardly from the shoulder 88 to the lip edge 92farther than the base lip 52, as at 90. As shown in FIG. 10, when thebag 10 is closed, the lid lip 86 overlaps the base lip 52 such that thebase lip 52 abuts the lid shoulder 88. When the bag 10 is securedclosed, the base lip 52 and lid shoulder 88 deform slightly due to itsflexibility, thereby forming the liquid-resistant seal 96 between thebase 22 and lid 24.

Mounting brackets 100 a-1 (collectively, 100), shown in FIG. 11, arepermanently attached to various locations on the base 22 and lid 24, andare designed for several uses. Each mounting bracket 100 is a flat,metallic piece. Preferably, the mounting bracket 100 is stamped aluminumthat is powder-coated or anodized for durability. The mounting bracket100 is generally triangular with a short side 102 and a long side 104 ata right angle to each other, and a hypotenuse 106. There are mountingholes 108 along the hypotenuse 106. Strap slots 110 extend along theshort side 102 and long side 104.

The mounting bracket 100 is permanently attached to the base 22 or lid24 by brass or stainless-steel rivets or other appropriate fastenersthrough the mounting holes 108. Preferably, the manner of mounting makesthe attachment resistant to liquid passing through.

The hinge side 32 of the base 22 and the hinge side 66 of the lid 24 areattached together by two or more hinges 116, as shown in FIG. 2. Eachhinge 116 is a flexible strap 118 with two ends 120, 122. The straps 118are composed of a polyester or nylon webbing that is coated with PU,TPU, or PVC for durability and to facilitate cleaning. One strap end 120is permanently attached to the base 24 at a hinge base mounting bracket100 a, 100 b. The other end 122 is permanently attached to the lid 22 ata hinge lid mounting bracket 100 c, 100 d. The ends 120, 122 of thestraps 118 are fed through the strap slot 110 on the long side 104 ofthe mounting bracket 100 a-d, folded over, and stitched to retain thestrap 118.

A latching mechanism 130 engages to secure the bag 10 closed. Thepreferred latching mechanism 130 employs two or more side-releasebuckles 132, as shown in FIG. 3. The components 134, 136 of the buckleare preferably composed of a plastic, such as an acetal resin, anexample being DELRIN®. The female components 134 are permanentlyattached to the lid 24 by rivets. Preferably, the manner of mountingmakes the attachment resistant to liquid passing through. The malecomponents 136 are attached to the free end 140 of straps 138. The otherend 142 of the straps 138 are permanently attached to the base 24 atlatch base mounting brackets 100 e, 100 f. The ends 142 of the straps138 are fed through a strap slot 110 on the long side 104 of themounting bracket 100 e, 100 f, folded over, and stitched to retain thestrap 138. The present invention contemplates that the female component134 can be attached to the base 22 and the male component 136 can be ona strap 138 attached to the lid 24. Optionally, the length of each strap138 is adjustable by looping the strap 138 through a square ring 144 onthe male component 136, as is well-known in the art. The straps 138 arecomposed of a polyester or nylon webbing that is coated with a PU, TPU,or PVC for durability and to facilitate cleaning.

The bag 10 has several handles. The hinge side handle 150, shown inFIGS. 2 and 12, and the latch side handle 152, shown in FIG. 3, areidentical. Each is composed of a base strap 154 and loop strap 156, eachof which is composed of a polyester or nylon webbing coated with a PU,TPU, or PVC for durability and to facilitate cleaning. The loop strap156 is laterally stitched to the base strap 154, as at 162, in such away as to form an elongated, longitudinal handle loop 166 and lateralcarabiner loops 168 straddling the handle loop 166.

The ends 158, 160 of the hinge side handle 150 are permanently attachedthrough the slots 110 of the hinge base mounting brackets 100 a, 100 band the ends 158, 160 of the latch side handle 152 are permanentlyattached through the slots 110 of the latch base mounting brackets 100e, 100 f. Rivets 164 are also used to attach the handles 150, 152 to thebase 22 and lid 24 to help alleviate strain on the stitching 162.Preferably, the manner of attaching the rivets makes the attachmentresistant to liquid passing through.

The handle end handle 174, shown in FIGS. 5 and 13, is composed of abase strap 176 and loop strap 178, each of which is composed of apolyester or nylon webbing coated with a PU, TPU, or PVC for durabilityand to facilitate cleaning. The ends 180, 182 of the handle end handle174 are permanently attached through the slots 110 in the handle basemounting brackets 100 g, 100 h in such a way as to form an elongated,longitudinal handle loop 184. Rivets 186 are also used to attach thehandle 174 to the base 22 to help alleviate strain on the endattachment. Preferably, the manner of attaching the rivets makes theattachment resistant to liquid passing through.

The handles 150, 152, 174 are attached to the base 22, rather than thelid 24, because of how the oxygen cylinder 12, described below,unbalances the bag 10.

The bag 10 can be manually carried by a handle loop 166, 184. Carabinerscan be inserted through the carabiner loops 168 to hang the bag 10 froma gurney or other platform in the side-carry orientation.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the base floor 30 optionally has a recess200 extending into the compartment 26 for holding an oxygen cylinder 12with an attached regulator 14. Unless otherwise indicated, thedescription assumes that the bag 10 is in the end carry orientation. Therecess 200 extends longitudinally between the foot end 36 and the handleend 38 and approximately parallel to the hinge side 32 and latch side34. Preferably, the recess 200 is sized to except both M9 and M15cylinders, which are 11 cm in diameter, and 36 cm and 50 cm,respectively, in height including the regulator. The cylinder 12 itselffits into the longitudinal portion 202 of the recess 200. The regulator14 extends laterally into a niche 204 off the longitudinal portion 202.The inner wall 206 of the niche 204 is sloped toward the foot end 36 sothat the hose 16 extending from the regulator 14 does not have to bendtoo sharply.

The cylinder 14 is retained in the recess 200 by a cylinder harness 210,shown in FIG. 16. The harness 210 has a polyester or nylon web basestrap 212 with a bare end 214 and a microhook fastener 216 at the otherend. The section of the base strap 212 at the bare end 214 is riveted tothe base 22 within the recess 200 such that the base strap microhookfastener 216 hangs downwardly.

At least one and preferably a pair of wide, circular, elastic bands 218a, 218 b (collectively, 218) are attached to the base strap 212 so thatthe axis of the bands 218 are parallel to the strap 212 and that theyare spaced from each other. The diameter of the bands 218 is sized toaccept and retain M9 and M15 cylinders. A sizing strap 220 is attachedto each band 218 opposite to where the band 218 is attached to the basestrap 212. The sizing strap 220 has a bare end 222 and a square ring 224a, 224 b (collectively, 224) at the other end. The section of the sizingstrap 220 at the bare end 222 is stitched to the band 218 such that thesizing strap ring 224 hangs downwardly.

As shown in FIG. 17, the M9 cylinder 12 is installed in the harness 210by inserting it into the upper band 218 a until the regulator 16 iswithin the regulator niche 204. The base strap microhook fastener 216 isinserted and pulled through the upper ring 224 a until the base strap212 is snug against the bottom 18 of the cylinder 12. The microhookfastener 216 is pressed against an M9 microloop fastener 226 on the basestrap 212.

As shown in FIG. 18, the M15 cylinder 12 is installed in the harness 210by inserting it into the upper band 218 a and the lower band 218 b untilthe regulator 16 is within the regulator niche 204. The base strapmicrohook fastener 216 is inserted and pulled through the lower ring 224b until the base strap 212 is snug against the bottom 18 of the cylinder12. The microhook fastener 216 is pressed against an M15 microloopfastener 228 on the base strap 212.

Optionally, a foam pad 232 is attached to the harness 210 to protect thewearer's back from the cylinder 12. The pad 232 has slots 234 throughwhich the bands 218 extend, as in FIG. 19.

The bag 10 includes a waist belt 240, a pair of shoulder straps 242 a,242 b (collectively, 242), and a carry strap 244. All of thesecomponents are detachably attached to the base 22 so that they can beremoved to facilitate cleaning. Optionally, the bag 10 comes withmultiple sets of these components so they can be swapped out after eachjob to await cleaning. Optionally, these components are disposable.

As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, with the bag 10 in the end carryorientation, the waist belt 240 has a right-side component 250 and aleft side component 252. The right-side component 250 is removablyattached to the base 22 by a lower right bracket 100 j and the left sidecomponent 252 is removably attached to the base 22 by a lower leftbracket 100 i. The right-side component 250 has a nylon web strap 254with a free end 256 and an attachment end 258 with a hook/loop foldbackfastener 260. The attachment end 258 is inserted through the right lowerbracket slot 110 and folded back until the fastener 260 engages. Theleft side component 252 has a nylon web strap 264 with a free end 266and an attachment end 268 with a hook/loop foldback fastener 270. Theattachment end 268 is inserted through the left lower bracket slot 110and folded back until the fastener 270 engages. The waist beltcomponents 250, 252 are removed from the bag 10 by disengaging thefasteners 260, 270 and pulling the straps 254, 264 from the brackets 100i, 100 j.

The right-side component 250 and left side component 252 are detachablyattached to each other by a side-release buckle 274. The buckle malecomponent 276 is on one of the right-side components 240 or left sidecomponents 242 and the female component 278 is on the other sidecomponent. The buckle components 276, 278 are attached to be adjustablealong the length of the waist belt component 250, 252.

The carry strap 244 can be used to carry the bag 10. The carry strap 244is removably attached to the base 22 by an upper right bracket 100 k andan upper left bracket 1001. As shown in FIG. 22, the carry strap 244 isa nylon web strap 282 with a hook/loop foldback fastener 286 at each end284. The end 284 is inserted through the associated upper bracket slot110 and folded back until the fastener 286 engages. The carry strap 244is removed from the bag 10 by disengaging the fasteners 286 and pullingthe ends 284 from the brackets 100 k, 1001.

The pair of shoulder straps 242 a, 242 b can be used as a hands-free wayto carry the bag 10. The shoulder straps 242 a, 242 b, shown in FIG. 23,have a padded section 290 with a top attaching strap 296 at the top end292 and a bottom attaching strap 298 at the bottom end 294.

The right and left shoulder strap top attaching straps 296 are attachedto the base 22 at the upper right bracket 100 k and upper left bracket1001, respectively. The top attaching strap 296 includes a short strip300 of nylon web material that is sewn to the padded section 290, as at302. The other end 304 of the strip 300 is threaded through a squarering 306, through the appropriate attachment bracket slot 110, and backthrough the square ring 306 in a manner known in the art.

The bottom attaching strap 298 includes a short strip 310 of nylon webmaterial that is sewn to the padded section 290, as at 312. The otherend of the strip 310 is attached to a ladder lock slider 314. The bottomattaching strap 298 further includes an adjusting strap 316 that isattached to the strip 310 by extending through the ladder lock slider314 in a manner known in the art. One end of the adjusting strap 316 isformed into a loop 318.

The right and left shoulder strap bottom attaching straps 298 areattached to the base 22 at the lower right bracket 100 i and lower leftbracket 100 j, respectively. The other end 320 of the adjusting strap316 is inserted through the appropriate lower bracket slot 110 thenfolded back and threaded through a square ring buckle 322 forattachment.

As shown in FIG. 23, the chest belt 324 has a right-side component 326and a left side component 328. Each of the components has an attachmentstrap 330 and a buckle strap 332 a, 332 b (collectively, 332), both ofwhich are composed of nylon webbing. One end of the attachment strap 330is sewn to the padded section 290, as at 334. The other end of theattachment strap 330 has a square ring 336. The buckle strap 332 extendsthrough the ring 336, is folded back and sewn, as at 338.

The right-side component 326 and left side component 328 are detachablyattached to each other by a side-release buckle 342. The buckle malecomponent 344 is on one of the right buckle strap 332 a or left bucklestrap 332 b and the female component 346 is on the other side bucklestrap. The male buckle component 344 is attached to be adjustable alongthe length of the buckle strap 332 in a manner known in the art. Thefemale component 346 is attached by a loop 348 at the end of the bucklestrap 332.

Optionally, the bag 10 includes a movable arm 358, shown in FIGS. 9 and24-26, to which a flashlight 356 can be attached. The flashlight 356removably attaches to the arm 358 at a bracket 362 attached to the freeend 360 of the arm 358. The bracket 362 is a cylindrical tube 364 with aparaxial slot 366 in the wall. The slot 366 permits the tube 364 tostretch in diameter enough to slide the bracket 362 over the flashlight356. The bracket 362 holds the flashlight 356 by clamping around theflashlight 356.

The arm 358 attaches to the bag 10 inside the base 22. A clamp 370 holdsthe mounted end 372 of the arm 358 so that the arm 358 can rotate, as at374, and pivot, as at 376.

As shown in FIG. 9, the lid 24 optionally includes a divider 406generally parallel to the lid sides 66, 68 that separates the lid 24into two compartments 408. Optionally, the divider 406 is removable byusing, for example, snaps, magnetic strips, or hook and loop fasteners.The method used for attachment needs to be relatively robust so that thedivider 406 does not detach during use. The divider 406 is preferablycomposed of polyester or nylon with a PU, TPU, or PVC coating.

As shown in FIG. 27, optional compression straps 382, 384 extend fromthe hinge side 66 and the latch side 68 of the base 22 and lid 24. Eachcompression strap 382, 384 as two parts, the attachment strap 386 andthe buckle strap 388. The straps 386, 388 are polyester or nylon webstraps that are coated with PU, TPU, or PVC for durability and tofacilitate cleaning.

The attachment strap 386 has one end 392 permanently attached to the lid24 by rivets. At the other end has a square ring 394. The buckle strap388 has a hook/loop foldback fastener 398 at one end. The foldbackfastener 398 is inserted through the ring 394 and folded back until thefastener 398 engages. The other end of the buckle strap 388 has the maleor female component of a side-release buckle 400. The buckle components400 are attached to the buckle strap 388 so that the lengths of thecompression straps 382, 284 are adjustable by means well-known in theart.

As shown in FIG. 9, strips 420 of Pouch Attachment Ladder System (PALS)webbing are attached to the inside surface of the base 22 and lid 24.The base 22 has PALS strips 420 on the base hinge side 32 and base latchside 34 parallel to the base lip 52. The lid 24 has PALS strips 420 onthe lid hinge side 66 and lid latch side 68 parallel to the lid lip 86.The divider 406 has PALS strips 420 on the hinge side 410 and latch side412 parallel to the divider top edge 414. The PALS strips 420 extend thelength of their respective surfaces. The PALS strips 420 can be a singlestrip, as in FIG. 9, or a pair of parallel strips, as in FIG. 28.

As shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, the PALS strips 420 are composed of twoparallel nylon or PVC webs, a backing strip 424 and a loop strip 426,each one inch wide. The loop strip 426 is bartacked to the backing strip424 at 1.5-inch intervals, as at 428, such that the loop strip 426 isspaced from the backing strip 424 between bartacks 428, as at 430. Thebartacking can be by any means that retains the strips 424, 426together. For example, fabrics can be stitched, and PVC can be welded orglued.

The PALS strips 424 are attached to the base/lid/divider by an adhesiveor weld on the backing strip 424 and/or by rivets.

The bag 10 of the present invention includes caddies 450 of varioussizes that are removably affixed to the inside of the bag 10. As shownin FIGS. 30-32, each caddy 450 has a base 452 and a cover 454. The base452 has a floor 456 and four sides 458, 460 with optional roundedcorners, as at 462, forming a compartment 464 within. The cover 454 isessentially flat and that, when mated with the top edge 466 of the base452, forms a ceiling that closes the compartment 464. The base 452 andcover 454 are attached at one side 458 by a living hinge 468. A closure470 attaches the other three sides 460 to the base 452 to secure thecompartment 464 closed. Preferably, as shown in FIGS. 30-32, the closure470 is a zipper.

The caddy 450 is composed of a polyurethane or PVC tarp with sewn seams.Preferably, the caddy 450 is composed of a clear material so that thecontents can be seen without having to open the caddy 450.

The caddy 450 has top, bottom, and side seams, typically of regularthread. The caddy 450 is not totally cleanable as is the rest of the bagbut are made inexpensively and can be disposed of in the medical wastestream.

The caddies 450 are removably affixed in the bag 10 by the PALS strips420. Each caddy 450 has several fold over tabs 480 mounted to opposedsides 458, 460 of the caddy 450. Each side with tabs 480 has a tab 450at each end spaced apart by an integer multiple of the PALS strip loopspacing 430.

As shown in FIGS. 33 and 34, each tab 480 is a fabric strip, the bottomportion 482 of which is sewn to the caddy side 458, 460. The bottomportion 482 has a steel washer 494 attached to it. The top portion 484has a magnet 492 attached to it. The top portion 484 folds downwardly ata fold 486 to overlap the bottom portion 483 such that the magnet 492overlaps the washer 494 to latch the top portion 484 to the bottomportion 482. To use, the top portion 484 is inserted through a PALSstrip loop 430 and folded over until the magnet 492 latches to thewasher 494. The PALS loop strip 426 is secured between the top portion484 and the bottom portion 482.

Optionally, the outside surface 500 of the cover 454 has a label 502composed of a woven material that is sewn onto the cover 454. The label502 preferably has a black background and high-visibility yellow artworkon top of the background. The artwork can include text and/or figures.The artwork must be clearly readable and so is preferably at least 2 cmhigh with the background at least 3.1 cm high. Optionally, the artworkis a plain surface that can be manually written on with a permanentmarker.

Optionally, elastic strips 510 are sewn to the base floor 456. Thestrips 510 are sewn laterally, as at 512, to form loops 514 into whichitems can be inserted.

As mentioned above, the caddy 450 comes in several sizes. They are sizedso that a number of them can fit within the bag 10 at the same time, asin FIG. 35. In the current design, there are three sizes: (1) 15 cm longby 12 cm wide by 10 cm high, (2) 18 cm long by 12 cm wide by 10 cm high,and (3) 18 cm long by 18 cm wide by 10 cm high.

Thus, it has been shown and described a carry bag. Since certain changesmay be made in the present disclosure without departing from the scopeof the present invention, it is intended that all matter described inthe foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A carry bag comprising: (a) a base composed of a liquid-impermeable material with a floor, a base hinge side, a base handle side opposite the base hinge side, a base foot end between the base hinge side and base handle side, and a base handle end opposite the base foot end, all forming a base compartment with a base circumferential lip; (b) a lid composed of a liquid-impermeable material with a roof, a lid hinge side, a lid handle side opposite the lid hinge side, a lid foot end between the lid hinge side and lid handle side, and a lid handle end opposite the lid foot end, all forming a lid compartment with a lid circumferential lip; (c) hinges pivotally attaching the lid hinge side to the base hinge side, each hinge being a flexible hinge webbing permanently attached to the base and lid; (d) at least one latch for latching the lid to the base when engaged, each of the at least one latch having a female component and a male component, the female component permanently attached to the base latch side or the lid latch side, the male component being attached to a flexible latch webbing that is permanently attached to the base latch side or the lid latch side; (e) the base circumferential lip and lid circumferential lip engaging to form a liquid-resistant seal when the at least one latch is engaged; (f) whereby all non-removable components of the case are composed exclusively of materials that are cleanable with bleach or hospital-grade wipes.
 2. The carry bag of claim 1 wherein the base and lid are composed of an emulsified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer.
 3. The carry bag of claim 1 wherein the hinge webbing is attached by hinge mounting brackets and the latch webbing is attached by a latch mounting bracket.
 4. The carry bag of claim 3 wherein the mounting brackets are powder-coated or anodized aluminum.
 5. The carry bag of claim 1 wherein the male component of the latch is adjustably attached to the latch webbing.
 6. The carry bag of claim 1 wherein the hinge and the latch webbings are polyester or nylon.
 7. The carry bag of claim 1 wherein the hinge and latch webbings are coated with a polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane, or polyvinyl chloride.
 8. The carry bag of claim 1 further comprising PALS strips on the inside surface of the base hinge side, base latch side, lid hinge side, and lid latch side, and a plurality of caddies removably attachable to the PALS strips.
 9. The carry bag of claim 1 further comprising a divider in the lid generally parallel to the lid hinge side and lid latch side, the divider having PALS strips thereon, the PALS strips composed of nylon or polyvinyl chloride webbing.
 10. The carry bag of claim 9 wherein the divider is removable.
 11. The carry bag of claim 1 further comprising removable shoulder straps.
 12. A carry bag comprising: (a) a base composed of a emulsified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer with a floor, a base hinge side, a base handle side opposite the base hinge side, a base foot end between the base hinge side and base handle side, and a base handle end opposite the base foot end, all forming a base compartment with a base circumferential lip; (b) a lid composed of a emulsified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer with a roof, a lid hinge side, a lid handle side opposite the lid hinge side, a lid foot end between the lid hinge side and lid handle side, and a lid handle end opposite the lid foot end, all forming a lid compartment with a lid circumferential lip; (c) hinges pivotally attaching the lid hinge side to the base hinge side, each hinge being a polyester or nylon hinge webbing permanently attached to the base and lid by hinge mounting brackets; (d) at least one latch for latching the lid to the base when engaged, each of the at least one latch having a female component and a male component, the female component permanently attached to the base latch side or the lid latch side, the male component being attached to a polyester or nylon latch webbing that is permanently attached to the base latch side or the lid latch side by a latch mounting bracket; (e) the base circumferential lip and lid circumferential lip engaging to form a liquid-resistant seal when the at least one latch is engaged; (f) PALS strips on the inside surface of the base hinge side, base latch side, lid hinge side, and lid latch side; and (g) a plurality of caddies removably attachable to the PALS strips; (h) whereby all non-removable components of the case are composed exclusively of materials that are cleanable with bleach or hospital-grade wipes.
 13. The carry bag of claim 12 wherein the mounting brackets are powder-coated or anodized aluminum.
 14. The carry bag of claim 12 wherein the male component of the latch is adjustably attached to the latch webbing.
 15. The carry bag of claim 12 wherein the hinge and latch webbings are coated with a polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane, or polyvinyl chloride.
 16. The carry bag of claim 12 further comprising a removable divider in the lid generally parallel to the lid hinge side and lid latch side, the divider having PALS strips thereon, the PALS strips composed of nylon or polyvinyl chloride webbing.
 17. The carry bag of claim 12 further comprising removable shoulder straps. 